SCBIZ Daily Staff

COLUMBIA -- New Carolina, the state’s council on competitiveness, is offering a $5,000 prize for the best new business idea.

Enter an idea online through Dec. 2.

“Share your ideas for business that stoke your fire, blow your mind and show your get-up-and-take-charge-of-my-dream spirit,” New Carolina said in its announcement. “Your idea could bring new jobs, new energy, new talents, new life and new wealth to South Carolina.”

South Carolina’s fourth annual New Ideas for a New Carolina Business Idea contest is backed by SC Launch, New Carolina, FastTracSC, ThinkTEC and other organizations around the state. The group will spend October and November touring cities throughout South Carolina promoting this year’s contest.

Winners will be announced Feb. 11 at the ThinkTEC Innovation Summit in Charleston.

This year’s contest awards the grand prize winner $5,000 of seed money for a business idea, a scholarship to the FastTrac entrepreneurial training program, tickets to the ThinkTEC Innovation Summit and a Dream Team of Mentors to help the winner cultivate his idea.

Four first-place prizes of $2,500, a scholarship to FastTrac and tickets to the ThinkTEC Innovation Summit will be distributed, as well as five $1,000 honorable mention prizes.

The contest will once again feature the People’s Choice category, in which S.C. residents will be able to vote for their favorite idea.